Zima
by Hikareh
Summary: Every year, Sonic makes it snow on Tails' birthday. Even now, when Tails looks through him and can't really remember him, Sonic keeps his promise. /Winter elemental AU/ *Cover by Katimonz!*
1. Glaciate

_Zima_

Rating: T

**Warnings: **Once upon a time, Sonic would be considered OOC in this, but now that Sonic Boom exists he's not. Granted, this is an AU anyway, but this is still the mobius of my other stories—just tweaked a bit—so he officially classifies as OOC simply because this _does not_ take place in the Sonic Boom universe. Shucks, almost got away with this.

**Notes:** There are so many things that I should be working on, but this story needs me and I need it. I really shouldn't be posting another multi-chapter story considering I already have three (_three lord save me_) in the works, but I refuse to turn away a story that comes to me from on high, demanding that I give it my full attention. This one is something special to me, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.

There was once a time when I worried about how well an idea would be received by the fanfiction audience as a whole, but I've stopped caring so much. This story is more for me and if you enjoy it, then that's an extra little victory for me. Plus, we need more AUs here in the Sonic fandom beyond the obligatory high school AUs. Give me AU or give me death.

This story gains inspiration from _Rise of the Guardians_—the movie, as I've not yet had the privilege of reading the books—but I've taken everything and made it my own. There will be ice powers. And we should celebrate ice powers.

Everything in this fic is intended to be platonic and brotherly. Please don't read into it. I'm here to tell you that it is possible to love someone deeply in a platonic way. It doesn't have to be romantic. If you want romance, go somewhere else.

**Disclaimer:** All recognizable material belongs to Sega and their affiliates.

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><p>It was so simple, something Tails had seen him do countless times already, but those big blue eyes lit up so brightly when he woke up the morning of November 24th and looked out the window that Sonic felt his heart nearly beat out of his chest with pride.<p>

Outside, the ground was covered with a thick blanket of snow, ice crawling up the windows of the Workshop, small whorls decorating them into intricate designs that had the fox riveted. The kit gasped and jumped out of bed, rushing to the pane of glass to touch it. His gloved fingers left warm circles of moisture behind and he laughed, a pure chiming sound that had Sonic smiling from ear to ear. Ah, to be six years old and marveled by a simple snowfall. Childlike joy made his life so much better.

"Can we go play?!" Tails demanded, whirling around, eyes alight with glee and wonder. Sonic was standing in the doorway, holding up the kit's bright blue coat, which he shook in reply. The fox squealed and darted to put it on, immediately yelling "race you!" as he rocketed out the door and down the stairs. The hedgehog's smile widened and he quickly followed.

Two years later, the same date, the same type of morning. Eight and amazed, snowfall outside, a happy morning spent with snowball fights and snowmen, snow angels and snow flurries. Snow—Sonic's specialty.

"Make it snow on all my birthdays, okay?" Tails demanded in childhood glee, gathering some of the fluffy, shimmery stuff and throwing it up. Sonic waved his hand and a small gust grabbed the snow and whisked it away, around and around in a dance that was fit for Tchaikovsky before allowing it to float back to the ground around Tails. The fox's smile was huge and Sonic grinned back.

"I will. I promise."

Four years after that, the last good year. Twelve years old and still young enough to spring from bed and race to the window, demand to play, shrug on a coat and push Sonic out the door. A flurry kicked up as he crunched into the snow, swirling around the fox in a tornado that licked at his coat and sent his namesakes into a frenzy. A loud laugh, still high pitched and carefree, and then a snowball smacked into the fox, magically flying through the air without a pair of hands ever touching it. A war ensued, in which Tails conceded defeat only after the hedgehog stuffed snow down his coat.

The next year, Tails looked through Sonic more than he saw him, forgot the swirling whirling lighthearted play, forgot nearly everything as puberty set in. Sonic lost him that year, like all other children, but he hurt the most. The morning of his thirteenth birthday wasn't the same. There wasn't the patter of feet on the floor or the demand to go outside. There was a slow descent down the stairs and then a few steps outside, no coat, staring at the snowfall with head upturned and blue eyes empty. Sonic hovered out there, a blue blob in the white, and when Tails' eyes glanced his way, he thought he saw recognition. Then, it was gone almost as quickly as it had come.

There had been a _possibility_, but like every other hopeful wish, it was unfounded. Sonic's long life was filled with disappointments, but this one... This one would haunt him for the rest of his days.

And now, three years after, he hovers in front of Tails' second story window with only the wind to keep him aloft, breathing frost onto the glass and then drawing small designs, like he does every year. Like he promised. Never mind that Tails probably can't remember that pledge. A promise is a promise. Snow is tipping down in the early morning gloom, gathering on the front step, the plateau, in the trees, and everywhere in between. Sonic waves a lazy hand toward the door and the wind sweeps the snow away so Tails won't step out into it immediately. His work is unblemished by footprints—perfect, like always.

He finishes with the window and presses his fingers to it. Ice covers his whorls and curls, defining and protecting them. There, they should last all day now. He casts his eyes over the Workshop one last time before nodding and commanding the wind to toss him onto the roof. He lands with a crunch on the snow that has gathered there and sets in to wait. This routine is three years old and he's used to it by now, as depressing as that is. But, at least he still has this. He doesn't know what he'll do when he can't decorate for Tails' birthday anymore.

A few hours later, he hears Tails' alarm clock go off and his breath catches. No matter how much the rest of the day sucks, this is the best part. Tails always goes to the window, examines the painstaking frost he has put there, and the look on his face always takes Sonic back to when the fox was younger and still _believed_. That expression gets him through the year, through the angry spells and disappointment, and he floats down to peer through the window.

Tails is only just reaching the window when Sonic gets there. He is disheveled from sleep, eyes dark and angry—a familiar look these days—but when he sees the window his expression lifts and a small smile paints its way across his features. His eyes widen to take in the artwork that decorates it and Sonic feels pride swell in his chest. Over ten years and he's still got it. The teenager's gaze shifts toward Sonic and the hedgehog freezes as the fox's eyes focus. He sees Tails' breath catch and his own heart crashes to a halt.

A shaking, gloved hand rises to press against the window. Sonic watches it, looks back at the fox, and yes, Tails is looking right at him.

"Can—" Sonic begins, not knowing if his voice will get through the layers of ice and glass separating them, but he has to _try_. "Can you see me?"

Tails doesn't hear him. He blinks and then shakes his head, mumbling under his breath. He turns and Sonic feels like he's been punched in the gut. _Damnit_.

.

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><p>.<p>

For as long as Sonic can remember, he's been a winter elemental—_The _Winter Elemental. It's his job to bring ice and snow to the planet, and he spends most of his time flying around, dropping snowflakes and icing power lines. There are other elementals of course, ice and wind and rain and fire and every other type imaginable, but Sonic is one of The Seasonal Four—the top tier, the big bosses, the movers and shakers, only a few of the names they've received from other elementals over the years. He was born an elemental, probably deposited on the planet by Chaos himself. As far as he knows, there are only a few pure elementals left—the ones endowed by Chaos or saved after death. Most are minor sprites, controlling one element and doing all that they can to help the Seasonals, while a select few work directly under the main four. Autumn has a few assistants simply because his job is so large—all those plants to prepare for winter. Sonic doesn't have any help; he prefers to do everything himself. It lets him explore and travel, running and flying with the wind. He loves to watch adults get huffy at sudden snowfall while children celebrate at the same time.

Children... He has a soft spot for children. The only people who can see him are children, with their big imaginations and unblemished souls. He spends most of his days playing with them, dusting their lawns with snow and icing the roads so the schools call a snow day. The kids love him and he makes sure they stay stocked up on snowballs while also keeping them off the road when they get carried away. He's been doing this for centuries—maybe even millennia.

He's an old man really, but he feels fifteen. He feels like one of the kids that he watches play, understands their need to get out into the cold and roll in the snow, identifies with childhood in a way that he'll never hope to identify with adulthood. He wants freedom for them, so he gives it to them in the only way he knows how.

But, once they hit puberty, they lose interest in him. He watches as they start to see through him, start to scoff at the idea of playing in the snow, and he can't do anything to stop it. This is the natural order of things. There will always be more children. Really, his job is just to bring snow and ice, not entertain kids.

Still, he can't help but mourn a choice few as they outgrow him. Tails is the only one that has managed to get this close to him, and he only has himself to blame for the heartbreaking situation he finds himself in. Tails is sixteen and can't see him anymore—hasn't been able to since he was thirteen—and Sonic has tried everything to break through to him, to no avail.

So, now, he decorates windows and drops snow every year on the kid's birthday. He sits on the roof with his knees pulled into chest and watches as the fox walks out into the snow, looking for him, but not able to see him. He knows that Tails remembers _Sonic_, the big brother who has cared for him since he was four, but he doesn't remember _The Winter Spirit_, so, to Tails, Sonic abandoned him years ago. The fox has anger inside him, a bitterness that he lets out in angry bursts as he blows up bomb after bomb in the Workshop. He's been crafting weapons for years, a worrisome situation for anyone, but especially so for Sonic, who can't do anything to stop him.

This year, Tails pads out with his coat and a scarf. He walks to the middle of the empty, wide area of the plateau and gazes out at the rest of the ruins, breath fogging in front of him. Sonic wants nothing more than to drop down in front of him and explain everything, but he knows that would be a waste of breath. He deserves this pain, but Tails sure as hell doesn't.

"Pity party for one?" a female voice pipes up suddenly. Sonic stiffens and the wind whips toward them, ready to grab him and carry him off. But then, his brain clicks on and recognizes the voice. His shoulders hunch and he scowls.

"What're you doing here, Amy?" He isn't sure how she got up here. Her powers don't include flying.

The snow crunches as she steps forward into his peripheral vision. She's dressed in a big, fluffy pink coat with her hands stuffed into her pockets, mittens hanging around her neck. She crouches down next to him, gazing at Tails with a closed off expression. "It's Tails' birthday. I'm here to watch you watch him."

"You hate the cold," Sonic grouses, which is true enough. Amy's the Summer Elemental, all sunshine and heat waves, swimming pools and ice cream. They don't get along that well, but they tolerate each other because it wouldn't do for winter and summer to be at odds; both are necessary for equilibrium.

"You're deflecting," Amy answers. On the ground, Tails falls forward into the snow, face buried in the cold. A smile ghosts across Sonic's face; the fox used to do that when was tiny, wanting to feel the cold all way through his body. "You can't keep this up."

"I damn well can." Sonic wraps his arms around his legs. "He's my responsibility."

"You knew you were making a gamble when you adopted him."

Oh, yes, the gamble. She had said the same thing to him when he had returned to Angel Island with a young child in tow. And how did he reply?

"If I were mobian," he says now, in a perfect reflection of his earlier self, "I think I would be a gambling man. Have you seen the slots in Casino Night Zone? I could lose a few rings there."

"You knew there was a fifty percent chance—"

"Look Amy," he cuts across, watching as Tails rolls over onto his back and stares up at the sky. Sonic waves his hand and snow starts falling, each snowflake carefully crafted by his hands, "I don't need to hear it. I knew the statistics, but I'm not gonna drop him just because the pendulum didn't swing in my favor."

Amy sighs and her breath puffs in front of her. Sonic is suddenly painfully aware that she used to be mobian, can understand every little thing Tails is going through in ways Sonic can't, and that hurts. "Well, Cream and I are gonna stop by later this evening. Do you want us to tell him anything?"

Sonic shakes his head, suddenly angry at her. He glares ahead and the wind picks up, whirling the snow around.

The girl reaches out and pats his arm. Her palm is searing hot on his freezing skin and it takes all of his willpower not to jerk away. Chaos, he hates summer sometimes. "I'll see you later," she mumbles before turning and crunching away. He hears her jump off the roof and then all trace of her is gone.

Amy doesn't deserve the anger, not really. She's been dealing with his temper tantrums for centuries. He's just jealous. Amy Rose had once been mobian, alive and well, but then some kind of accident—she won't specify what exactly it was—happened. She tried to save a younger girl, getting herself killed in the process, and Chaos—or Tikal, Sonic isn't sure which of them is the gracious one anymore—saw that moment of self sacrifice as an action of pure heart. He saved her, transformed her into a light elemental. Unfortunately, the girl she had tried to save, Cream, died anyway, and Chaos changed her as well. Amy was quickly appointed to the Summer Elemental position by Tikal and Cream inherited the Spring Elemental position. Because of their strange circumstances, the two girls can choose to be seen by adult humans, which means that they can visit Tails. Sonic usually asks them to take him things, make sure he has enough food, and is paying the bills, but he always feels a touch of spite when he does.

Sonic sighs and takes a few deep breaths to calm down. The wind follows suit and the snow returns to its gentle drift. Really, there are other places he should be right now, but he feels close to his charge when they do this every year. There's a script—Sonic makes it snow, Tails marvels at the window, Sonic watches him come outside and appreciate his hard work—and Sonic isn't willing to break his promise. There's only so long mobians have and he intends to greet every single one of Tails' years.

The fox sits up now and Sonic can hear his sigh all the way across the lawn. He stands and bats snow off his coat before starting back toward the door. So, it's over, just like that. Sonic's green eyes follow him all the way to the door, where he stands on the clear front step and turns back for one last look. The snow is unblemished besides his footfalls and the impression of his body in the middle of the plateau. Already, the holes are being filled in by the falling flakes and Sonic considers stopping the snowfall, but Tails turns and enters the house before Sonic can move. Oh well. Back to your regularly scheduled moping.

Sonic hops off the roof and ghosts over to the place where Tails had lain. There is a snow angel, one of Tails' favorite things to make, but there is something else, something scratched out next to the angel. Sonic bends to get a better look and his heart stops.

_I know you're there,_ it says in sloppy lettering. The snow is packed in, making the deeply etched letters stand out pretty clearly from the rest of the snow. Sonic stands stiffly and looks back at the house. Tails is standing behind the large kitchen windows, staring at Sonic—or at least at his message—probably try to discern if someone actually _is_ there.

Suddenly, Sonic is moving. He darts across the lawn with the wind on his heels and blows frost on the window in front of Tails' face. The fox jumps and nearly falls backwards, but manages to catch himself. For half a second, Sonic considers what he's doing, knows it's stupid, but he can't stop—not after three years of his farce.

With a shaking hand, he traces letters in the frost, Tails' eyes widening as he takes them in.

_I'm always here._

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><p>All questions will be answered in time<em>. <em>

Reviews are cherished.


	2. Crunch

_Zima_

**Warnings:** None wow

**Notes:** _Bonjour les enfants,_ how is it hanging as the kids say? Quick turnaround this chapter because the Big Man in the sky bid me write this (Mufasa voice: _Remember who you are, Ashley_) and it's been like 78 degrees (25 Celsius for all you non-American'ts out there) in my Texas home (I know, wtf Texas? The weather is about as whacked as the gun toting freedom fighters (SECEED SECEED) that I have to wade through on a daily basis. I am aghast) and I've been feeling wintry as a result. ICE POWERS GO.

Also, to those of you who felt like the last chapter was a complete story: well yeah but lulz you don't know me very well do you

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><p><em> REWIND &amp; FREEZE<br>_

Emerald Hill was due for a snowfall. Granted, it was a beach zone and hadn't seen snow in at least twenty years, but Sonic liked to push things sometimes. The snow wouldn't stick, but the gentle drift of it always brought ecstatic happiness to locals and tourists alike. Not to mention, it looked killer when the snowfall landed in the ocean. The sea this far south was Amy's domain, but, as previously stated, he liked to push things. Oh, Amy would have his head when she found out, but he would be long gone by then.

Yeah, he kinda had a death wish, but it wasn't like she could _actually_ kill him. What was an immortal existence if he couldn't screw with the quarterly balance every now and then?

So, he flew right into the Zone, not heeding the unfamiliar palms or the fact that it was early _October_—still a little too early for snow in most zones with seasonal cycles, let alone a zone in perpetual summer—and he made it rain.

Well, he made it snow, but whatever. Precipitate. He made it _precipitate_. Chaos, he just wanted to be hip.

As expected, the snow brought nearly everyone in the zone out of their homes. Children spilled out of the school cheering, while the adults wandered around looking confused and vaguely afraid. Sonic heard a few mumbling about an apocalypse and he couldn't help but laugh. His good mood caused the air to chill a bit more, bringing forth rarely used jackets. Kids took to the beach, turning their heads up to the sky to catch snowflakes on their tongues, tugging adults into doing the same. Sonic felt great. Sure, he probably just screwed up a few plants, but Cream would be able to fix that, easy. The joy here was well worth the rant he was gonna get later. Yeah, he was amazing.

He was flying high on his own self indulgence when he smelled it. Or rather, felt it. There was a pulse of familiar energy coming from somewhere near the beach, a primordial energy that reached into his core. His concentration slipped and he plummeted to the ground, barely catching himself before he crashed into the sand. That was elemental energy—young and untamed, but it was definitely elemental. Chaos, was there a _sprite_ hiding out here?

Sonic released the wind, trusting it to take care of itself for a bit, and his feet touched the sand. His shoes—given to him by Amy and Cream years ago when they found out he was running around without anything on his feet—sunk in and he had to pause for a second to get used to the unstable, slippery grains under him. He was used to frozen ground, the crunch and give of snow, not _sand_. What the hell—this was _strange_.

However, he was adaptable—_you've walked on sand before, Sonic, c'mon get it together_—and he quickly managed to get his sea legs under him. The energy signature was coming from behind a large grouping of rocks, and he padded toward it, nearly silent underneath the sounds of yelling children as the wind picked up and whipped the falling snow around. Sonic rounded a corner, ready to confront whichever lazy sprite was shirking off, and careened to a halt.

It was a small mobian fox. Ragged and bruised, the child looked like he—or she—had been through hell. There were purpling splotches underneath patchy, golden fur, and Sonic could count the kid's ribs from where he stood a few feet away. He felt rage settle in his belly at the sight. This was no sprite. This was a kid.

An elemental kit, from the look of those two tails. Sonic's mouth went dry and he felt his knees go out. He fell backwards and landed solidly in the sand. Chaos, he didn't think kits even still _happened_. There were so few of them left, and with all the new _rules_—

But, here was proof to the contrary, staring him straight in the face. The kid could clearly see him, had the bluest pair of eyes Sonic had ever seen locked right on him, and the fear the hedgehog saw there ignited a new round of anger. Oh, someone would _pay_.

Elemental children weren't anything new. They only happened when a sprite gave up their immortality and powers in order to live as a mobian, expiration date and all. It was rare—even rarer now that there were clear rules to never _ever_ show oneself to an adult mobian—and the children that resulted usually possessed some type of abnormality. These things were normally ignorable, but, sometimes, they were extreme. An extra tail was a big one, and had clearly resulted in bullying and who knew what else from the normal children. Sonic felt sick and he had to take a few deep breaths to calm down. Poor kid, probably had no idea how special he was.

Slowly, Sonic stood up, keeping his eyes trained on the kid across from him. So far, the kit hadn't done anything but stare at him, too scared to move even a smidge, and Sonic returned that in kind. He didn't want to scare him anymore; Chaos knew the world had done enough of that already.

"Hey," he breathed, ignoring the smoke of his own breath in the abnormal cold. Maybe he hadn't come here on a whim; maybe, just maybe, this kit had been calling to him. He reached out, gloved hand open, toward the child, and had to hold back a hiss as the kid flinched away. "I'm not gonna hurt you."

It occurred to Sonic to wonder where the parents were. This poor child was all alone, and it wasn't like ex-elementals to abandon their offspring. In fact, most elementals were overprotective of their kids. It was super strange to see a kid with an energy signature this strong by themselves. His parents were probably dead, Sonic reflected, which made the whole situation worse. To give up immortality for love and then immediately die... Sonic couldn't imagine it.

The kid blinked those huge eyes at him and Sonic shuffled a bit closer, squatting down so he was eye level with the fox. The child jerked and tried to back away but he collided with the rocks behind him and turned large, startled eyes back at Sonic. He was trapped.

Sonic sighed and blew ice into his hands. Methodically, he smoothed and pulled at the ice, shaping it into a perfect, clear sphere. Then, he held it out to the child, watching as a pair of vulpine ears rose and he leaned closer to get a better look. A tiny, shaking hand rose and came forward. Sonic smiled and pushed his own hands toward the fox. The sphere was snatched out of his hand quickly, cradled against the white fur on the kid's chest, and the kit was back where he started in an instant. Sonic sighed again.

"See kiddo? I'm different from the other people around here. I know you can sense it. We're almost the same."

"The same?" Oh, thank Chaos, he could talk. Sonic had been slightly afraid that the kid was totally feral. "But, you look normal."

"You ever see another blue hedgehog before?"

"...no."

Sonic scooted a little bit closer. Now that the kid was talking, they could get somewhere. "See, I'm different like you."

"Like me? But, I can't do... _this_." He held the ice sphere out as evidence.

Sonic smiled. "You might, one day." Truth was, elemental kids had a fifty percent chance of inheriting their parent's abilities once they hit puberty. It was either become a sprite or become completely mobian, forgetting all about any elemental influence in their life, and they had no control over which direction they went. That was why there were laws in place to keep elementals from giving their powers up for a regular life—it wasn't guaranteed that their children would fill the gap they left. And, with the dwindling elemental population, it was imperative that they keep their numbers up.

"Really?" the kid scooted forward a bit in his excitement before he realized what he was doing. Sonic grinned.

"Yeah, really. Why don't you come with me, kid? You don't belong here, especially all alone."

Really, the fox had nothing holding him back. It was obvious to Sonic that he was being abused and he probably didn't have a place to live. It was a miracle in and of itself that he had managed to survive on his own. Still, the kid paused at the offer, biting his lip.

"How do I know you're not a murderer or something?"

Sonic felt a smile crawl across his face at that. "You have a good point. Look, I'm gonna let you in on a secret—" He leaned toward the fox and the child had no choice but match his movement so their heads where nearly touching. "I'm not mobian. I'm a winter spirit. I bring ice and snow to the world and I watch over children."

"Uh huh," the fox answered, unconvinced, "and I'm the son of Chaos."

"Smart ass aren't you? All right, well, I guess you'll have to let me prove it."

The kid nodded once, unsure, and Sonic stood, holding a hand out. The beach was still pretty crowded and they could still hear the sounds of people so it was pretty safe, at least from the fox's point of view. The child took Sonic's hand and allowed the hedgehog to pull him to his feet. He was short, stunted, and the emaciation was all the more obvious once he was upright. Sonic wanted to spit.

Instead, he took a deep breath and turned to the rocks. "All right, something simple first. How about I frost these rocks?"

The kit nodded again, expression closed off. Sonic stepped toward the rocks and touched one gloved finger to the stone. Immediately, frost bloomed under his finger and spider webbed across the rocks, covering them completely in a few seconds. The child gasped and Sonic felt a pair of small hands wrap around one of his larger ones. "Whoa! What else can you do?!"

Sonic laughed and held his hand out. Ice bloomed again, this time exploding like small fireworks into the air. The child giggled and reached out to catch a falling piece of ice. It melted when it landed on his palm and he turned excited blue eyes toward the hedgehog. Sonic grinned back and swore in that moment that he would do anything to keep that excitement alive for the rest of the child's life.

.

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><p>.<p>

_ RETURN & PLAY  
><em>

As soon as Sonic writes the words on the window he regrets them. Tails' eyes are wide and the implication of what he's done hits Sonic like a ton of bricks. He swallows and rubs the message out with his palm, ignoring the ice that spreads beneath his hand. Chaos, he always loses control of his powers when he's agitated. Tails is gaping and swaying on his feet, about to pass out.

Sonic's just made his life a hell of a lot more difficult.

The hedgehog turns from the window and darts away, running all the way to the edge of the plateau where he dives off the edge. The wind catches him and whisks him away like a dead leaf, tossing him around in his discontent. He's not sure where he's going but as long as it's _away_ he'll be fine.

His fur is icing over, small whorls spreading across the tan of his arms and stomach, crawling up his quills, like armor against his own stupidity. There are _rules_— For a _reason_. _Chaos, Sonic_, he thinks, _you're an idiot_. The ice hardens and the wind picks up, swirling him higher and higher over the ocean. _Tails' life is gonna spiral now. What were you _thinking.

The laws are there to protect both the elemental and mobian populations. Elementals really have no business interfering in mobian lives; there is a natural order to things, and their outside influence will only make things worse. Not to mention, mobians are naturally interested by elemental presences. That's why children love to follow them around. Mobians with a history of elemental interaction are especially susceptible to their energy signatures, and now that Tails is aware that something's up, he's gonna try to figure it out. Problem is, there's _no way_ he'll be able to see Sonic. Sure, passing glances—flashes in peripheral vision or reflections in windows—will happen, but he'll never regain the childlike innocence that allows Sonic to be seen. He might've just doomed Tails to a life of _almost_—almost understanding, almost seeing him again, almost communicating—and Sonic knows a lot about almost, has been living in almost for the past three years.

He wouldn't wish that on his greatest enemy.

Sonic curses himself all the way to Angel Island, where the wind promptly dumps him on his ass. He hisses as the ice armor chips away and disappears in puffs of shredded hail. He lays in the grass, ignoring the cold that seeps into the land under him, killing the grass. Knuckles is gonna kill him, but that would be preferable to the royal screw up he'll have to face eventually.

It takes the Guardian fifteen minutes to find him and he plants a heavy foot on Sonic's stomach, crushing his organs as he leans over him.

"You're murdering my grass," the echidna hisses, ignoring the ice that creeps up his foot. "Get a hold of yourself. You haven't been upset enough to touch freeze things in at least two hundred years."

Sonic huffs out a breath of frost, the opposite of the usual hot air that escapes, and he feels his lungs seize as they ice over. "I'm freezing _myself_. I'm so _sorry_ about your plants."

Knuckles blinks and his foot presses harder, drawing a crack from the hedgehog's body. It's not the crack of bones; it's the crack of ice, the sound of glaciers fracturing or icicles splintering. The foot disappears and Knuckles falls to sit next to him, ignoring the slight crunch of ice under his body. "What in Chaos's name did you _do_? I've never seen you this upset."

Sonic presses the heels of his hands into his eyes and it takes all of his willpower to keep them from freezing over. "I talked to Tails."

Knuckles takes in a harsh breath. "You _what_? How?"

"I didn't actually talk to him. I wrote a message on a frosted window."

Knuckles groans and his face falls to rest in his hands. "You're an idiot."

"Now you understand why I'm currently in the process of freezing myself."

"Look—" Knuckles looks up again and Sonic is suddenly reminded of the tiny puggle that tumbled out of the last remaining egg, wide eyed and amazed by the four elementals that were ready to greet him to the world. He's part elemental, Sonic remembers suddenly as the echidna places his hand on the ground and the ice melts in a puff of smoke, a distant relative of Tikal. He should've died centuries ago, but he's the last—no doubt frozen in time like the rest of them through necessity alone. His warm hand moves to Sonic's stomach and he places it on the spot where his foot previously ground him to a pulp. The ice inside Sonic sublimities, freeing his lungs and heart. "Maybe this is for the best. You've been _miserable_ for three years."

"This doesn't change anything. Except Tails will probably spiral into _obsession_—"

"I don't know," Knuckles answers, pulling his hand away. "You might be able to break through to him. He's still got a strong energy signature, even though he's obviously passing into a mobian existence. It might not be too late."

"I can't go against _nature_—"

"Well, if you're gonna keep slacking off on your duties and moping around here, then, as the Guardian of the Master Emerald, I suggest you give up your position and abilities and follow him to mobian life."

Sonic sits up with a jolt. "Are you _kidding_ me, Knux? I can't do that! I have a responsibility! Not to mention, the laws!"

Knuckles rolls his eyes. "You've thought about it before. Don't lie to me," he cuts across as Sonic opens his mouth to argue. "I know how important Tails is to you. Sonic—you _raised _him. No one'll judge you for giving up this life to grow with him."

Sonic crosses his arms and turns away, grumbling. "Doesn't change the laws."

"You helped write those," Knuckles points out helpfully. "And you know they're there to keep younger sprites in line. We can't do anything to you if you decide to give up. Hell, you probably won't remember us if you do."

Sonic looks back up at him, face stricken. "I can't... I love Tails like he's my brother, you know? And there's this hole in my chest that grows every time I look at him, but I can't give up my responsibility. I've been around for too long to quit now."

The echidna shrugs. "Then you need to let him go. Or—" he cuts in again when Sonic looks ready to dispute him, "_or_ you try harder to break through to him. Talk to Amy. She can jog a few memories lose. I'll see what I can dig up in the records. He's got a good heart. If worst comes to worst, I can ask Tikal to change him after he dies."

"You know Chaos doesn't change anyone after puberty," Sonic grumbles, picking at the grass around his legs.

"Well, then I guess you just have to work harder."

Sonic squints in Knuckles' direction. "Who are you and what have you done with good, rule-following, hardass Knuckles?"

The echidna laughs. "Sometimes, it's my job to tell you what you need to hear, even if it goes against every fiber of my being."

The hedgehog sighs and the wind picks up, ruffling their fur. "I'm glad you're the last one. I couldn't stand Athair."

Knuckles huffs and he punches Sonic in the shoulder. "You've been pestering me for over five hundred years now. You'd be lost without me."

"I knew there was a reason the wind brought me here."

"Shut up and get out of here before you kill more of my plants."

"Yeah yeah, Metropolis Zone is due for some snow. It's nearly December." Sonic stands and dusts himself off.

"Finally, doing your job. Get a move on Mister Popsicle."

"Haha," the hedgehog deadpans, "I'm outta here." Sonic turns toward the edge of the Island and pauses before he can take a step. "And Knuckles? Thanks."

* * *

><p><em>It only took five hundred years of life with Sonic for Knuckles to chill out. <em>

_So many reviews for one chapter! Wow! I'm floored! Thanks to everyone who's given my little story some attention! _

_Reviews are cherished. _


	3. Squall

_Zima_

**Warnings:** Slight info dump at the beginning.

**Notes:** We have a story cover now! Big thanks to Katiemonz for drawing this stunning picture and then allowing me to use it as the story cover! Go show her some love! (Link on my profile.)

Well, here we are again. Contrary to popular opinion, I'm updating this pretty quickly compared to my other work. It's a proper miracle that I'm updating now tbh, because I'm spending time with my best friend (who lives very far away) and I don't have the motivation to write but I'm gonna make myself damnit. We haven't been doing much of anything—just playing an ungodly amount of Animal Crossing (there are four squirrels in my town with a fifth about to move in I need to lodge a complaint with Nintendo) and a bit of Sonic Boom (which is just as terrible as I expected it to be. Sonic Boom: Rise of 06. _ANYWAY.), _along with watching quite a bit of Hetalia (which I've been obsessed with since last summer FREE ME) and Game Grumps.

I would like to take this opportunity to apologize if there are any tense switches in here. I don't know why I decided to write this in present tense and I keep slipping back into past. I've had equal practice in both, but my default is in past, and I tend to fall into it when I don't pay attention. Not gonna lie, I like past better because I'm just not as descriptive in present as I am in past. Add to that that my narrator is lodged halfway out of Sonic's head like a small government probe and Sonic isn't that descriptive anyway and you've got a mess where I constantly lose characters in the shuffle when I have more than three in a scene. I have absolutely screwed myself later on in this story. Think ahead when it comes to narrative style kids. Don't be like me.

Finally! This story has been highly influenced by Bastille's album 'All This Bad Blood,' especially the songs Icarus, Oblivion, and Weight of Living Pt. I, and I highly urge you give yourself a gift and give it a listen. I don't usually recommend music to go with my fics, but this album has really shaped this story and it's _phenomenal_. I checked and there's a YouTube video with both discs so you have no excuse (unless you're on mobile).

Now, forward!

* * *

><p>Knuckles watches Sonic go before sighing and casting a look at his grass. It's a lost cause really. Knuckles wastes so much time cultivating the Island's plant life—for what? Sonic just breezes through and freezes it all. With another sigh, Knuckles places a hand on the thawing grass and pushes energy into it, drawing new life from the soil. It'll take a day or so, but new grass will grow there if he keeps a close eye on it. Sure, he could get Cream to come in and heal it, bring back the dead plants, but Sonic is a force of nature and Knuckles isn't one to look rebirth in the face and say no. New grass will grow here.<p>

Speaking of plants, he needs to go check the gardens. It's his job to keep the elementals fed, especially those that can't be seen by adults. They don't eat much, maybe once every two or three days, but they have no way to get food in modern times. It used to be that Sonic or Amy could raid a few fields and feed their numbers without the mortals noticing, but, these days, every plant is counted and catalogued. So, Knuckles grows food year round, with Cream's assistance of course, and he has elementals on the Island all the time. Angel Island is a sort of home for them all and Knuckles the glue that holds them together. He acts as farmer, landlord, schedule, and sometimes even therapist.

Only a few elementals have permanent homes here. About a quarter of their numbers are stationed in so-called 'grounded' zones, those zones where seasonal change are rare, like Green Hill or Holoska, to keep the weather and climate from fluctuating too much, but only those that can be seen by mobians. These sprites, saved after death like Amy and Cream, work in simple jobs to provide money to a shared fund, accessible by any elementals with permission from a Seasonal for necessities like clothes and food if they can't make it up to Angel Island, while also keeping the zones' weather intact. Another huge chunk of their sprites don't have homes, simply surviving out in the elements they control. They prefer this life, exist to cause trouble with rain and snow and heat, and they remain mainly unchecked as long as they work within the seasons. The rest work under the main four—well, three considering Sonic refuses to accept help, the bonehead—and they come and go from the Island. The faces around here are always different, but Knuckles remembers them all. It's his job after all.

Sonic is the only Noble besides Knuckles himself that has a house on the Island—a hut in Ice Cap Zone where he keeps all the little trinkets he has gathered over the years—while Amy shares a house with Cream on the surface of the planet. The rest of the houses on the Island are inhabited by Lesser Nobles. Blaze barely lives in hers, preferring to stay on the surface for as long as possible, watching over all the heat sprites that look to her for guidance. Sonia and Manic are far too busy working under Cream and Espio to check in that often, but they do when they can. (Those two are an enigma to Knuckles. Twins born to a rain elemental, both changed at puberty. Before them, it was believed that elementals could only have one child inherit their powers, but here they are. Twin rain makers, one spring and one autumn; they fight like cats and dogs, but they're always together when they aren't working.) Silver is here the most, if only because his job brings him back all the time. The second fastest wind elemental after Sonic, he works as a messenger between the main branches. He can sense where any elemental is if he knows their name and wants to find them, and he's constantly running around, carrying messages between Knuckles and the Seasonals, between the main four—mainly Sonic and Amy—and to random sprites if he has to. When not working, he can be found lounging in the sun or pestering Blaze. Really, he's the most annoying person Knuckles has ever met; it figures that he would be the one he has to talk to all the time.

"Hey Knuckles!" Speak of the devil, Silver catches him when's a few yards from the greenhouses, all windswept quills and a huge smile. Chaos, here's the bane of his existence, standing right in front of him, and he can't even punch him. That would be _rude_, Knuckles, he thinks to himself.

Knuckles grunts at Silver and picks up speed. It's useless—Silver's as fast as the wind he controls—but he likes making Silver work for his attention. The wind gusts and then the hedgehog's hovering in front of him, bobbing with a small squall under his feet. Showoff. "What?" the Guardian barks out. Silver doesn't flinch.

"Tikal wants to see you." No nonsense, no jab, just the message. Must be serious. Knuckles nods and casts a look at the greenhouses. A few of Cream's plant sprites are lounging in the sun, waiting for him to come order them around, and he gestures at them with a sweep of his hand.

"Tell the sprites to get to work on the carrots and that I'll be there in a few minutes. If we finish early today they can go for the week."

"What do I look like," Silver gripes but turns all the same, shoulders back, "your personal page?"

Knuckles bites back a sarcastic retort and turns away, ignoring Silver in favor for jogging in the direction of the Master Emerald shrine. Tikal doesn't send for him that often, usually waits for him to contact her, so this must be huge. He has more than half of an idea of what it's about, but he doesn't assume anything when it comes to Tikal. She always manages to surprise him.

When he reaches the Master Emerald, he finds Tikal hovering right outside of the gem, partially see through like always but uncharacteristically worried. She's fidgeting, worrying her lip and fiddling with her hands, and he takes the steps up to the top of the shrine two at a time. She composes herself once she sees him but he knows it's just an act, and he can tell that she knows that he knows; she appreciates the effort though and it helps her relax a smidge.

"You sent for me?" he asks, contemplating bowing in respect but forgoing it in light of her worry. Routine doesn't have a place when Tikal summons.

"Yes," she answers, voice echoing through his head. She doesn't have a corporeal form so she can't make noise anymore than a corpse in the ground, so she has to resort to projecting her words straight into his skull. It's weird, nearly disconcerting, but he's used to it. "Sonic was here."

Knuckles nods. "He was."

"I heard all of it," she cuts across, obviously not in the mood to play cat and mouse with him. Fair enough, he isn't very keen on the idea of lying to her. "It's very unsettling."

"Sonic's the second oldest elemental. I'd imagine that you wouldn't want to lose one of your little knights."

Knuckles is pushing it. He's not exactly happy with Tikal; it's through her actions that Sonic's in this situation and it's hard to see Sonic hurting. More than that, Tikal has more to worry about than just Sonic's wellbeing—she's got to take the planet's balance into account after all—and she won't hesitate to sacrifice a few lives to make sure that the whole thing keeps turning. It's harsh, but Knuckles understands; but he also cares more for Sonic than Tikal's chess game. Chaos knows that Sonic deserves a little give after everything he's been through.

She sends him a hurt expression, one so pure and true that he nearly takes his words back right then. She cares for the Nobles at the very least—Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, Guardian, Sacrifice—is one herself after all, and he wonders what she's thinking. She wouldn't have called him here if she didn't have a request. "Sonic is very dear to me. He was the first season specific elemental and he's changed this world is so many ways. To lose him would be mobius shattering."

"Well," Knuckles begins shortly, hotly, nearly at a bark; she flinches, "what do you suggest we do? He's on a one-way trip to heartbreak."

Tikal sighs and goes back to worrying her hands, looking down at her fidgeting digits as she speaks. "I'll have to speak with Chaos."

"We don't have time for that!" Knuckles throws his hands up and the Master Emerald sparks at his anger. Tikal flinches again. "I need to know if you can change Tails."

She looks up then, sharp. "No. He is mobian."

Knuckles huffs. "Can you save him after he dies?"

She bites her lip again. "It's possible..." She trails off and cocks her head to the side, listening to something. "But only if he dies in the next four years. Once he hits twenty years old, the Chaos Energy in his body will be depleted and there will be no way to save him."

The living echidna's eyes narrow, dangerous and angry. "You've always told us that you can't save anyone after puberty."

"It's risky." She stares back, formidable. "But he has a strong elemental signature even now. His parent must have been very old."

Knuckles files that away for further research in the archive and instead focuses on a bigger worry. "And if he doesn't die in the next four years?"

She holds up her hands, empty and helpless. "Then it's out of my hands. Sonic will have to make a decision."

"He'll pick winter over Tails. His sense of responsibility will make him."

"Then the child will live out his life in peace. That's the best for both of them."

Knuckles feels his heart drop into his shoes at her complacent tone. "And when Tails dies? Do I need to remind you what happened to Mighty?"

Her head whips up and Knuckles swears that her eyes flash, angry and defiant. "We will not let that happen again. I will sacrifice myself a thousand times before I let Sonic go through that." She sighs and Knuckles swears that he can feel the wind pick up in response. "There are two options here," she continues with new fire. The complacency is gone in face of the reminder of Mighty's mistakes—of all of their mistakes, "you can take Sonic's memories of Tails from him—"

"You know I can't do that."

"—or you help him. It's possible to shake teenagers out of forgetfulness. Their minds are elastic enough, but it'll be hard. Tails is a smart child so he has more control over his mind than most. You might be able to do it." She presses her hands into her eyes and Knuckles swears he hears her choke back a few tears. "History will not repeat itself. I promise you that." She begins to fade away. "And, if he doesn't die in the next four years, don't try to kill him yourself. His death has to be a moment of self sacrifice or I can't help him." Her form is completely gone as her voice whispers once more, "Good luck, Guardian."

o0o

After dusting Metropolis Zone with snow, Sonic goes looking for Amy. The house she shares is in Station Square, a short train ride from Mystic Ruins and Tails, and it doesn't take Sonic long to find her walking down the street in her coat with Cream at her side. The little rabbit is skipping around in a light jacket, proof enough that Amy's cold intolerance is through the roof—despite the snow in Mystic Ruins, the city is relatively warm, well above freezing—but that comes from her season. She prefers tropical temperatures and Sonic knows that the only reason she lives in this city is because of its proximity to Tails. No matter how much Sonic bickers with her, she still makes an effort to watch out for his little brother and he'll always owe her for that.

He swoops down and lands on his feet next to the pair. Cream pauses in her skipping to give him a big grin but doesn't move to hug him like she usually would. They're visible to mortals then.

"What do you want, Sonic?" Amy mumbles out of the side of her mouth, steadfast in her forward stare. "We're going to see Tails later."

Sonic rolls his eyes. "I need to talk to you about something."

"We _are_ talking about something."

Sonic ignores her annoyed tone. "Something important."

Amy sighs. "We can't do this here. They can see us."

"I figured." Sonic takes a deep breath, and decides to cut his losses and just take the plunge. "Fine, okay. Look, I talked to Tails."

"You _what_?!" Amy gasps, ignoring the sharp glances she gets from the mobians around them.

"I made you a flower crown," Cream cuts in, answering Amy's question for curious mobian ears.

"Nice save, Creamy." Sonic rubs her head in an affectionate gesture and she grins up at him. Her chao huffs a bit and drops down on top of her head, obviously not happy with Sonic's presence.

"Oh, well, that's very nice," Amy answers Cream instead of acknowledging Sonic. She looks forward again and walks a few more paces.

Suddenly, in a flare of flame, Amy's second-in-command, Blaze, a fire elemental, appears in front of Sonic. The hedgehog grins at her and she spares him a small smile in return. "Amy," she greets, ignoring the groan that comes from the pink girl, "Green Hill Zone is steady and I sent a few sprites to fix a frozen lake in Aquatic Ruin." She shoots an accusatory glance at Sonic, who simply raises his hands in defense. She knows as well as him that he doesn't keep tabs on all of the ice sprites in the world.

Blaze is older than Sonic by a few hundred years, one of the original twelve that worked under the first elemental, and her control and power are envied by nearly every sprite. She's one of his closest friends and Sonic finds their whole friendship ironic—winter and summer's second, fire and ice, as thick as thieves—but they never miss an opportunity to get together and kvetch like old fogies about anything and everything.

Amy groans again for good measure and swerves into an alleyway, dragging Cream with her. Sonic shrugs at Blaze and follows, feet silent on the sidewalk. Blaze is hot on his heels and she nearly crashes into his back when he freezes as Amy whirls around and pins him with a heated glare.

"You both know better than to talk to us when we're visible!" she nearly screeches, voice ripping through two octaves for the fun of it. Cream winces and presses her large ears into her head; Sonic sends her a sympathetic glance.

Blaze is stoic as she moves to stand beside him. "I assumed you were invisible because you were speaking with Sonic. I apologize."

Amy seethes and doesn't reply. Instead, she crosses her arms and faces Sonic with a thundercloud expression. It takes all of the blue hedgehog's will to keep himself from taking a few steps back. "What's this about you _talking_ to Tails?"

"Um." Sonic replies eloquently.

"If I may," Blaze cuts in, "you are both still visible. Maybe we should move this conversation to a more private location?"

Cream brightens at that suggestion and points up at the roof of the building next to them. "How about up there? I doubt there'll be anyone around."

"Good idea," Sonic says quickly. The wind scoops him up before anyone else can reply and whirls him onto the roof seconds later. He sighs and gives Amy and Cream about five minutes to get up here. Neither one of them can fly like he can, so it'll take them a bit to get up the stairs. Plenty of time to come up with what he's gonna say to Amy.

Approximately two point seven seconds later, Amy's voice comes from behind him. "Can't get away that quickly."

Sonic yelps and jerks around. "Chaos, how do you _do _that?"

"A lady never reveals her secrets. Now, _Tails_?"

"Where's Cream?"

"I sent her with Blaze. They have some plants to fix or something. Stop changing the subject. Do you want my help or not?"

"I wish I didn't," Sonic mumbles before squaring his shoulders and facing her completely. "I contacted Tails."

Amy watches his expression, looking for any signs of a lie, and, when she doesn't find any, she sighs and moves to sit on the concrete lip at the edge of the roof. She pats the stone next to her and Sonic speeds over to sit next to her. "How?"

"I wrote on a frosted window."

"How'd he take it?"

"He looked sick." Sonic grimaces. "I didn't stick around long to see much of his reaction. I went to Angel Island and talked to Knuckles."

Amy rolls her eyes. "Of course you talked to Knuckles. You _always_ talk to Knuckles when you're in trouble." Sonic opens his mouth to argue against that, but she holds up a hand to stop him. "What did Knuckles say?"

"Well, first he told me to give up my abilities and go live with Tails."

Amy snorts. "Bet you said no to that."

"Got it in one."

The girl shakes her head. "He should know you better than that by now."

"Well, I haven't been doing my job lately, so he kinda has a point. Anyway, he also told me to try to make Tails, uh, remember."

Amy's response comes immediately. "That's impossible."

Sonic shrugs and picks at a touch of frost on his glove, watching as it flakes off and falls to the ground. No matter the temperature of the air, his skin is always covered in frost. It keeps the rest of him warm—_an insulating layer_ Tails told him once long ago—but it never fails to get everywhere. He has distinct memories of having to constantly mop up water when he stayed in the workshop for long stretches of time. "I said as much, and he said we should try. You never know."

Amy stares at him, at the frost that's slowly drifts off him in his nervous fidgeting, back to him, and then sighs, puffing her bangs up and away from her face. She leans forward and puts a hand on his own, burning through the frost and turning it to steam. It takes all of his self control to keep from jerking away. The girl pats his fist once before leaning back on her hands, face turned to the sky. "You want me to talk to him, right?"

Sonic blinks, suddenly reminded of how perceptive she is, and nods once, a sharp, mechanical move that snaps his chin into his chest. "Yeah, I was hoping you would try. Please," he adds when she turns back to him, face unreadable. "I don't know how it'll work or how you should do it, but yeah. You know him almost as well as I do."

She watches him for a few seconds with that blank expression before sighing. "I try to hate you, you know? I used to, I think, a long time ago. But then you brought Tails to Angel Island and I couldn't. Watching you interact with him made me realize that you're not a worthless sack of one-liners without any work ethic. You raised him better than some parents and the way you are when you're around him... You're just so at ease, calm... grounded." She smirks. "The complete opposite of the airhead that plunged the planet into a small ice age half a century ago because you were, and I quote, 'bored.'"

"Hey now! I fixed that!"

"_I _fixed it."

"With my help!"

"It was your fault!"

Sonic bites back a barbed reply and swallows it before speaking again. "So, will you do it?"

"Well," she begins, picking at her own glove in a near replication of him a few minutes earlier sans frost, "I wasn't planning on staying at the workshop for very long—just long enough to drop off some presents and make sure he's okay. I got a report this morning that Eggman has some of my sprites and I have to rescue them before he drains them." She bites her lip, obviously at a loss. Sonic can't imagine what she's going through. She wants to help Tails, but she has an obligation to her sprites.

He makes the decision for her. "I'll go get them if you go see Tails."

One of her eyebrows rises into her hairline. "_You_?"

"I'm not totally useless. I can handle myself in a fight." So saying, the wind picks up, whipping him up into a somersault. He lands on his feet and claps his hands together, pulling them apart to form a small sword made of ice. It's a heavy, comforting weight in his hand and he twirls it once for flair. "I've snuck into the doc's bases before. Need I remind you of who caused the last one's meltdown?"

Her other eyebrow climbs to join its twin and she rolls her eyes at his ice weapon. "Yeah, you nearly made the thing blow up and take out a whole Zone! Besides, the new one is in Marble Zone—_on an active volcano_. I'm pretty sure the heat alone would kill you."

He _tsks_ under his breath. "You let ole Sonic worry about that. I'll get Blaze and we'll gatecrash that party. Your sprites will be safe and sound by the time you're done with Tails."

She sighs in the air of someone who's just lost a battle and Sonic grins. "Only if you take Blaze," she acquiesces, "_and _Silver."

"Aaaaaah!" he groans, "Silver's only gonna stand there he whole time and make googly eyes at Blaze! And!" he cuts across, looking and feeling victorious, "Silver has a _job_!"

"I highly doubt that all of elemental society will dissolve if we can't send messages to each other for a few hours."

"Silver can't even fight!"

"Yes, but he's quick and he's good at defending."

"Yeah yeah, he can move inanimate objects with his brain or something. He'll just hold us back."

Amy crosses her arms. "Those are my terms. Take them or leave them."

Sonic groans again, but he nods again. Sure, a few hours with Silver will make him want to stab himself in the eye with a blunt pencil, but Tails is worth a little agony. Besides, Blaze will be there to keep him quiet and calm. They should be okay.

"Fine."

* * *

><p>Silver joined your party! He has strong defense and high speed! When paired with Blaze, his annoyance stat goes down!<p>

I usually try to keep my end notes short, but I realized that I've been throwing around some terms that might be a bit confusing. So, I decided to do a vocabulary run down before we get any further.

**Elementals—**any being endowed with an elemental ability by Chaos; fueled by Chaos Energy; immortal

**Seasonal**—the main four elementals in charge of the changing seasons: Spring, Autumn, Winter, Summer sometimes called SAWS, multi-talented in many elemental powers

**Nobles**—SAWS, the Guardian, and Tikal (sometimes called the sacrifice); the leaders and caretakers of all elementals; Tikal has been dead for centuries and she is the only being capable of speaking with Chaos; Tikal only speaks with the Guardian, who also acts as a lynch pin and supervisor over SAWS

**Lesser Nobles**—SAWS' second-in-command (i.e. Blaze, Sonia, and Manic) and the Messenger (Silver); originally intended to be a group of five, the Lesser Nobles serve right under the Nobles to advise all of the sprites that work for the seasons; there are only four because Sonic refuses to appoint a second-in-command

**Sprite(s)—**any elemental that is not a Noble or Lesser Noble

**Original(s)**—ancient elementals that were created to assist the first elemental with the seasons when it became clear that he couldn't do it alone

**Born**—a created elemental (ex: Sonic/Blaze)

**Saved**—a mobian turned into an elemental after death; has to be before puberty (ex: Amy/Cream)

**Changed—**a half elemental/half mobian child that changes into an elemental at the onset of puberty (ex: Sonia/Manic)

_**I swear to Christ if anyone reviews and just talks about my notes, I'm gonna block you. (Maybe. Probably. Depends on my mood.) Don't do that. I don't want your review if it doesn't address the story itself. If you want to talk to me about my author's notes, PM ME. I'll reply. (Maybe. Probably. Depends on the strength of my Internet connection, which is at an all time low.) Please talk about the meat of the chapter, not my ramblings. **_

PS: if I owe you a PM reply, it probably won't come for like a week? I'm busy doing exactly nothing but I haven't been on the computer long enough/don't have the state of mind to compose a novel length reply. Sorry!

PPS: Sonia and Manic aren't related to Sonic in any way shape or form. I was out of characters so I just used them. They won't be big players in the scheme of things.

PPPS: I actually love Silver.

_Reviews are cherished. _


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